Third Man Bumble Buzz Pedal

Jack White formed Third Man Records back at the turn of the 21st
century. Like most small label proprietors, he started the company to
release records that big labels wouldn’t touch, whether it was a White
Stripes live rarity, a 7" from blues primitivist Seasick Steve, or an LP
from psych-pop trickster Kelly Stoltz. When you visit the Third Man
shop in Nashville, you get the sense that Third Man remains a labor of
love. It’s a minimalist affair, mostly stocked with limited editions of
records that strike White’s fancy.


Third Man has diversified a bit and now offer a stompbox called the
Bumble Buzz. It’s an octave fuzz built for Third Man by Vancouver,
British Columbia’s Union Tube & Transistor, and it reflects the
ethos that guides Third Man’s record business. While the knob-free,
on-or-off Bumble Buzz may not have widespread appeal, it’s a lovingly
designed and executed heirloom that will blow the minds of those who get
it and can imagine a place for it in their own music.


It bellows with authority and an outsized presence.
It’s the Howlin’ Wolf of fuzzes.

Like many octave fuzzes, the Bumble Buzz is less than ideal for
chords. In fact, playing anything other than I-V power chords reduces
the Bumble Buzz to a spitting, hiccupping mess. But the Bumble Buzz
excels at generating bossy single-note riffs and leads. Working below
the seventh fret, you get the best results playing slower runs, which
let the octave overtones bloom a bit. I had great success playing in
this style with humbuckers and single-coils, though the extra cut from,
say, a Telecaster bridge pickup would add a cool complexity to the
bass-heavy output.


Leads played further up the neck change the character considerably.
In this range, the individual colors in the octave spectrum become more
defined and harmonious. The Bumble Buzz reacts relatively well to
picking nuances in these environs, at least for a fuzz with so much
octave content. This lets you speed up your attack and use hammer-ons,
slides, and bends without signal collapse. And while the ring
modulation-like artifacts aren’t as pronounced as what you might hear in
a Superfuzz or MXR Blue Box, they’re strongly present, adding a touch
of cool dementia to a rich octave fuzz.


The Verdict
Though you hear traces of Superfuzz and White’s beloved Big Muff in
the Bumble Buzz, it’s a distinctive octave fuzz that inhabits a cool
world somewhere between the two. Union Tube & Transistor built this
pedal like a rock. Its obvious quality, rich sounds, and the chance to
own a slice of Jack White’s creative universe will justify the steep
$325 price tag for some. Players who don’t dig White or octave fuzz
might find the pedal frivolous. But to write the Bumble Buzz off on this
count would be a mistake. It’s a powerful fuzz that can color a riff or
lead in fascinating ways.







The Bumble Buzz Pedal, Hand Made by Chris Young of Union Tube &
Transistor (who built the pedal used for Jack White’s guitar sounds on
“Sixteen Saltines” and the vocals on “I’m Shakin’” off of 2012′s
Blunderbuss), is ready for buzzing around and stinging sounds. Designed
by Third Man Creative Hive.


Input impedance: Zin @ 1KHz 30K / Output impedance: Zout @ 1KHz: 33K.


Power requirements: 9Vdc 10mA. The Unit runs off a standard center
negative 9v DC 2.1mm Boss style adapter or a single 9v battery.







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